Download NEW LUNG CANCER TREATMENT POSSIBILITIES THROUGH MOLECULAR TUMOR TESTING

NEW LUNG CANCER
TREATMENT
POSSIBILITIES
THROUGH MOLECULAR TUMOR TESTING
WHAT IS MOLECULAR
TUMOR TESTING?
When your doctors suspected
you had cancer, they had to take
a small portion of your tumor
(a biopsy) to have it examined.
As part of that examination, a
specialized doctor, called a
pathologist, looked at your tumor
cells under the microscope and
found out you had lung cancer.
The pathologist should also have
been able to tell whether you have
small cell lung cancer or non-small
cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Now, more detailed testing can be
done on your tumor if your doctor
requests it. These tests are sometimes
referred to as molecular testing, and
may involve:
looking for changes (mutations)
in the DNA make-up of the tumor.
• looking at levels of specific
proteins present in the tumor.
• These characteristics cannot
generally be passed from one
generation to the next.
WHY SHOULD MY TUMOR BE TESTED?
Multiple treatment options exist.
Targeted Therapies - When
particular tumor characteristics are
found through molecular testing,
special lung cancer treatments
designed to “target” these
characteristics may be offered to
you as an option for treatment.
It is important to know if you
have a tumor with one of these
characteristics so you and your
doctor can make well-informed
decisions about your treatment.
Characteristics that can be
targeted with treatments currently
available include (as of the writing
of this resource):
Epidermal Growth Factor
Receptor (EGFR) mutation
• Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase
(ALK) gene rearrangement
• EGFR and ALK mutations turn on
processes in tumors that make cancer
cells uncontrollably grow and divide.
Targeted therapies work by turning off
these processes.
Testing for EGFR and ALK mutations
is particularly recommended if
you have the adenocarcinoma
sub-type of NSCLC, though other
sub-types can also contain these
characteristics. Generally, if one of
these tumor characteristics is present,
the other is not.
Clinical Trials - Even if your tumor
is negative for EGFR and ALK
mutations, your tumor can still be
tested for other characteristics that
may allow you to access a new
targeted therapy through a clinical
trial.
for
your cancer treatment, call
1.800.698.0931or visit
emergingmed.com/networks/
freetobreathe
TO FIND CLINICAL TRIALS
HOW DO I GET MY TUMOR TESTED?
If there is enough tissue from the
original biopsy of your tumor, this
tissue can be tested. If not, you may
need a second biopsy or minor
surgery to get enough tissue to
test. Results are usually sent back to
your doctor between one and three
weeks later.
If your doctor doesn’t recommend
tumor testing for you, it is okay for
you to ask why not. Testing may
not be appropriate in all cases, but
it is best for you to know as much
as you can about your disease so
you and your doctors can be full
partners in your care. If you have
questions about the response you
receive from your doctor, it is okay
to ask for a second opinion from
another doctor.
WHERE CAN I GO TO GET MY
TUMOR TESTED?
Many major medical centers,
including members of the Lung
Cancer Mutation Consortium
(LCMC), offer molecular testing
for lung cancer patients. If your
medical center does not provide this
testing, consider visiting an LCMC
institution. Visit golcmc.com to find
an institution near you.
WHAT WILL IT COST TO GET MY
TUMOR TESTED?
Most lung cancer tumor testing
is covered by insurance. If you
have concerns about whether your
insurance will pay for tumor testing,
talk with your nurse, social worker
or insurance representative.
WHAT IF MY TEST RESULTS DON’T
QUALIFY ME FOR TARGETED TREATMENT?
Even if your tumor does not have
known characteristics that can be
matched to a targeted treatment that
is available commercially or through
a clinical trial, molecular testing can
still help you and your doctor decide
on the right treatment option for you.
In these cases, the very best care
will still be given to you.
© 2014 Free to Breathe
FOR ADDITIONAL information on
lung cancer, molecular testing and where
to find a lung cancer doctor, please visit
freetobreathe.org